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barrack

1 American  
[bar-uhk] / ˈbær ək /

noun

  1. a building or group of buildings for lodging soldiers, especially in garrison.

  2. any large, plain building in which many people are lodged.


verb (used with or without object)

  1. to lodge in barracks.

barrack 2 American  
[bar-uhk] / ˈbær ək /

verb (used without object)

  1. to shout boisterously for or against a player or team; root or jeer.


verb (used with object)

  1. to shout for or against.

barrack 1 British  
/ ˈbærək /

verb

  1. to criticize loudly or shout against (a player, team, speaker, etc); jeer

  2. to shout support (for)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

barrack 2 British  
/ ˈbærək /

verb

  1. to house (people, esp soldiers) in barracks

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of barrack1

1680–90; < French baraque, Middle French < Catalan barraca hut, of obscure origin

Origin of barrack2

1885–90; originally Australian English, perhaps < N Ireland dialect barrack to brag

Explanation

A barrack is a building where military personnel live. It’s usually used in the plural, as barracks. It’s also a verb — when soldiers lodge in barracks, they barrack there. Barrack comes from the Spanish barraca for "soldier's tent." Now it’s more than a tent. Barracks are the buildings where soldiers, commanders, and medical staff lodge. Many barracks are temporary buildings that can be taken down quickly and reassembled elsewhere. Other barracks are more sturdy and permanent, but the people who barrack (stay there) are always people in the military.

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Vocabulary lists containing barrack

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack confirmed the visa issuances, saying that "sports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world."

From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026

Iran's football squad have been granted visas to enter the United Sates so they can play in the World Cup, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack confirmed Friday.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Not for nothing did U.S. envoy Tom Barrack say in November 2025 that “Lebanon is a failed state.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Beirut dithered away all of 2025 while U.S. envoy Tom Barrack pleaded with it to disarm Hezbollah.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

I run up the lane to see him go down Barrack Hill and down St. Joseph’s Street.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

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